When the zombie apocalypse occurs and I get bit, just let me roam.

If a gang of anthropomorphic mutated turtles can master Kung-Fu on behalf of an overgrown, wise rat to overcome absurd odds then I can battle my sloth and procrastination to return this blog to it’s former glory.

First things first…. THE GOOD NEWS:

OK, so clearly I’m not dead. This blog, still a great source of pride and freedom of looney tunes rants for me, has seen it’s share of high’s and lows. I went through a period of dark times, but now am emerging physically healthier with clarity and ambition that I have not experienced since trying to find two girls to coerce into an orgy. Starting soon, me and a dear dear dear dear friend who is much cooler then you (deal with it) and whose name will not be disclosed will begin our own Podcast via this website. Talking points will be as follows:

Our own personal thoughts/experiences in terms of life and day-to-day situations

Marijuana reform state to state and the current trend of federal drug reform, with opinions on the ground via Colorado, NY and California

Console gaming and the hastening of indie game popularity and digital game purchases and downloads a la STEAM/PSN

Pirate Radio

General news and current events etc.

Talk and discussion of pop culture, movies (new and old) with recommendations of films you may want to watch

Offer up helpful PC/MAC/Linux technical advice

That’s the synopsis of what to expect. Keep comin’ back to HiddenDefinition for air dates and more information when we inch closer to the broadcast. If you like this website, you will probably enjoy what we will be serving up on air. Here’s some other information/news that could be filed under awesome:

Steins;Gate has been released in the West by publisher JAST USA to critical acclaim

Released this spring in both digital and physical editions by JAST USA, S;G is a deeply original time-paradox story that focuses it’s narrative on how to save the people you love after realizing the damaging effects of time travel

Using a series of text messages, a group of young people learn they can affect the outcome of the past and future by sending their messages back to a pre-ordained time period. The visual novel has garnered critical acclaim in both the east and west. You can order the digital download or the physical limited edition via JAST USA’s website at: http://jastusa.com/blog/2014/04/02/steinsgate-is-available-now/

Summer Sci-Fi Thriller “Edge of Tomorrow” opens in theaters June 6th

The cover to Japanese manga “All You Need is Kill” to which “Edge of Tomorrow” is adapted from.

The new “smart” sci-fi vehicle for Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt (sooooo hawt) opens this Friday and cinemas nationwide. Based on the Japanese manga “All You Need is Kill” by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, it features a working stiff (Cruise’s character) thrust into warfare against alien organisms hellbent on world destruction. With no knowledge of combat or the advanced weaponry strapped to his body, the soldier quickly dies only to reawaken hours before deployment in a “Groundhog-Day from hell” scenario. The soldier repeatedly dies in as many horrifying ways as the directors, CGI-artists and producers could think of which is sure to entertain. It’s not until he meets a woman soldier (Emily Blunt) who is experiencing the same phenomenon of a perpetually repeating day that they band together and use these endless death-defying reboots to their advantage to gain every tactical and intellectual advantage against their assailants from the stars. So far, early reviews have pinned this as the first must see science fiction blockbuster of the summer so I myself am I eager to check it out and knowing the source material makes it even more enticing. Watch the latest trailer below:

The Last of Us “Remastered Edition” hits PlayStation 4 in August and what to expect from Sony at E3

The Last of Us REMASTERED contains super-duper AA along with much improved resolution, HD textures and a further draw distance among many other sweet ass sweet features

So we all know that the PlayStation 4 is closing in or surpassed 8 million units sold by now. This is a big deal, because the Wii U has been out for over two years and has sold approximately just around 9 million units while the PS4 has been around for 6-8 months and smashed those figures to bits. Microsoft is being coy about what their system sales figures are, which is a good indicator that they haven’t come close to Sony’s figures. To stay competitive, they will need to consistently stay focused, especially with GameStop lowering the price of Xbox One bundles below $499. Microsoft has also not ruled out the possibility of shipping X1 units without their super-awesome stupid, dope with the fat ass rhymes Kinect 2.0. Kinect has clearly become so intricate to daily use of the X1 people surely won’t be able to survive without using the voice recognition to turn the X1 on/off and access Netflix while sitting on their toilet shouting commands across the room over their own flatulence. The only kink in the Sony plan for console domination is their lack of exclusive 1st-party games which has been synonymous with the PlayStation platform(s). We should get a nice taste at this years E3 which starts June 10th and goes to June 12, 2014. Sony typically has their presentation on the last day of festivities and here’s hoping they unveil some new first party games and maybe even a couple new IP’s. So far, we only know of The Order: 1886, DriveClub and a new Uncharted game for the PS4, with only DriveClub set to release this year (Oct. 7th). Which means there are several Sony-owned studios that have been lurking idly by in the shadows with no mention of their current projects. Media Molecule, Sony Bend, Studio Japan, Quantic Dream, Guerrilla Games, Team ICO, thatgamecompany, Insomniac Games (if they still have any exclusivity agreements for Ratchet and Clank or the Resistance franchises) etc. Back to Naughty Dog: To tide people over until the next big first-party release (Suckerpunch Studios just released Infamous: Second Son to mostly positive praise), Sony made what I deem a rather smart business move and had Naughty Dog do an in-house port of possibly the best last-gen exclusive for PS3 with updated graphics and all DLC included. Dubbed “The Last of Us: Remastered” edition, PS4 owners will finally get a chance to experience firsthand what us PS3 owners have been losing chunks of our free time over for the past year. This is a good move for both Sony and PS4 owners; it’s a first-party exclusive that anyone who owns a PS4 should get to play and Sony has 8 million units sitting in gamer’s homes with not much in the way of exclusive content. This summer, that all looks to change and it can’t come soon enough. These two console generation have been the most bizarre transition in my history of being a gamer. If you think so too or have something to add about how it sucks that developers seem stuck on continually developing for the lowest common denominator and then “pretty port” their game to current-gen, let us know on twitter at #weirdestconsoletransitionever

WatchDogs, Dark Souls II, Transistor and the PS3 is far from dead thanks to 3rd-party exclusives

WatchDogs, released for every conceivable platform (yes, even you Wii U) but so far has outsold on the PS4 and looks damn damn nice

The open-world sandbox hacking and 3rd person shooter, “WatchDogs” released by UbiSoft, where the world you live in can become your means of offense and defense has been selling like hotcakes. Originally scheduled to be released last year along with the new crop of consoles but delayed (obviously for the better), it has been that game everyone keeps talking about and saying how cool it is they hacked into a main streets defensive grid to cease the ingress of police cars chasing you down or how awesome it was they invaded another persons game and captured them for a bounty. The single player campaign is worth the price of admission alone, but the robust multiplayer mode makes WatchDogs absurdly fun. So far, the PS4 has been the de facto platform to experience WatchDogs on however if you own a beefy PC and can deal with the reportedly inconsistent online play, you can make it look reaaal purdy on a high-end computer if you don’t mind the dogged multiplayer for the PC.

Another new release just for the PS4 and PC that was developed by famed Bastion devs Supergiant Games comes “Transistor“. A sidescrolling/isometric based action-RPG hybrid with a very deep fighting and action system featuring a pleasantly surprising original narrative with a whole city to explore and it’s denizens to talk to. The game plays great, looks great, sounds great (the soundtrack is supposed to be BADASS) and features the sassy, back-talking titular character “Transistor” sword that your character uses as her primary weapon which you acquire in the first act of the campaign. Check out the Launch trailer below:

Some of the biggest releases so far this year have been cross-gen or avoiding the whole generational gap to begin with, ie: Dark Souls II which was not released for X1/PS4. Those who know the “Souls” series will know of it’s punishing yet genuinely rewarding difficulty. Oldschool gamers will be reminded of the great sense of accomplishment after defeating a difficult foe or acquiring that uniquely obscure weapon/item in Dark Souls II. Although it’s a PS3/360/PC game, it still looks beautiful (especially the deadly but huge bosses you’ll encounter) and watching the sun ripple off the ocean in certain areas is breathtaking… not bad for being jacked into the restraints of 8 year-old consoles. The controls have been made much more intuitive and flow from battle to maneuvering much more flawlessly than it’s predecessors. DSII is also easier to get started with, with less emphasis on the minutia of character customization and allowing the player to jump right into selecting your character class and traits. Another great feature missing from prior iterations: Being able to save MUCH more frequently. In a game where turning your character to fast can spin him/her off a cliff to an untimely death at a crucial point during gameplay, the added frequent save points adds much needed balance to a game where death is literally at every corner and turn. Already receiving some nods as a potential Game of the Year, Dark Souls II is the quintessential difficult oldschool hack-n-slash where patience, skill, exploration and learning your enemies weaknesses without obvious bright colors lighting up the weak spots or NPC’s shouting where to shoot, making DSII a rare breed of game in today’s flooded market of FPS military twitch shooters, 3rd-person sci-fi action “horror” and traditional turn-based RPGs.

Released in March of 2014 by Namco-Bandai, Dark Souls II is the amalgamation of everything that has made the two previous entries awesome. All three games developed by From Software.

Other games that have been released exclusively for the PS3 since the beginning of 2014:

Drakengard 3 from Square Enix

Deception IV: Blood Ties from Tecmo Koei

Tales of Symphonia Chronicles from Namco Bandai

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky from GUST

Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster from Square Enix

The Witch and the Hundred Knight from NIS America

Coming soon is Namco’s Tales of Xillia 2, one year after the first installment came to the West. The JRPG is slated to hit stores August 19th and if it’s as good as the first Xillia, I will be sure to pre-order the Collectors Edition which is currently going for $130. Included in the CE version are ” a figure of one of the new main characters, Ludger Kresnik, a replica pocket watch (it doesn’t run), a cat key chain, a CD of selected tracks, an art book, and alternative costume DLC of characters from past Tales game” (quote taken directly from DESTRUCTOID at http://www.destructoid.com/tales-of-xillia-2-coming-west-this-august-collector-s-edition-detailed-273589.phtml). If you are curious as to what this all amounts to here is a picture to give your brain visual stimulation:

Tales of Xillia 2 Collectors Edition includes everything pictured above. All you need is $130 and patience since the game doesn’t drop until August 19th, or something.

New system updates for PlayStation 4 that add new features and “system stability”

Latest OS update for PS4 is version 1.71 which is a cumulative update, picture above taken from the US Playstation Blog

If you’re waiting for Sony’s engineering gurus to come around and add MP3/CD Audio/Video file or DLNA support to the PS4, be prepared to wait a little longer. While the new update(s) adds some much ballyhooed features, basic functionality such as DivX, MP3 playback and UI customization are still inauspiciously MIA. New to version 1.70-1.71 are the ShareFactory video editor, new settings to dim the lightbar on the Dualshock 4 and now the capability to enable or disable HDCP (huge win for those of us who hate DRM). Those are some of the major improvements, for a complete list click on the following link for the official US Playstation Blog:

And don’t forget to check out HiddenDefinition’s Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film preview for 2014

A month or two back I completed a rather comprehensive guide for science-fiction, fantasy and action/fantasy films that are scheduled to be released or have already released this year. It needs a little TLC, but it’s still pretty accurate plus it includes full synopsis and a few crass, sarcastic remarks about most of the movies premises from yours truly. If you are looking for what to expect out of 2014 for movies, look no further then HD’s Action, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Preview. Check it out at here: https://hiddendefinition.wordpress.com/culture-movies-and-everything-else/sci-fi-movies-to-watch-out-for-in-2014/

And now …. THE BAD NEWS:

It hasn’t been all blue skies and sunshine. While there has been a lot of good things happening (see above, captain obvious) there has also been turmoil at the usually insulated Sony first party studios. Naughty Dog had some kind of falling out with Head Writer for the Uncharted series Amy Hennig, as well as losing a few other key members that were imperative in the creation of Uncharted and The Last of Us. Evolution Studios, responsible for the oft-delayed first-party PS4 exclusive Drive Club has also lost it’s Director and Sony Santa Monica had an unknown project in development cancelled. Also, while this occurred several months a go, Studio Liverpool, responsible for the awesome sci-fi racer WipeOut had it’s doors shut by Sony. While game studios putting up the “out of business” sign is nothing new, the frequency at which Sony is cleaning house and the questionable nature of these high-profile departures has left me wondering what the hell is going on within these AAA developers.

Boston developer Irrational Games has shuttered it’s doors for good on the heels of Bioshock Infinite’s final DLC release “Burial at Sea Pt II”

Probably one of the most gut-wrenching studio closings in quite some time, Founder and Director Ken Levine has decided to shut down Irrational Games located in Boston, MA. Not for lack of creative ideas or studio funding, this decision was made completely at the behest of Levine and a few other key members. In a official statement made available to the press, Levine says:

“To meet the challenge ahead, I need to refocus my energy on a smaller team with a flatter structure and a more direct relationship with gamers. In many ways, it will be a return to how we started: A small team making games for the core gaming audience”

Since publisher Take-Two and 2K Studios actually own the Bioshock franchise, this certainly does not mean we won’t see anymore Bioshock games, they just won’t be developed by the founding studio Irrational. The last official release by Irrational was the DLC for Bioshock Infinite “Burial at Sea Pt. II“, which received much due adulation for allowing players to play as protagonist Elizabeth and use her tear abilities to take on a more stealth-like approach to rediscovering Rapture. R.I.P. Irrational, you will truly be missed.

PlayStation Now officially unveiled at CES 2014, coming to your local PlayStation H/W in Summer of 2014

PlayStation Now Gaikai-based streaming service being revealed at Sony’s keynote address during CES 2014

Sony promised PS3 backwards compatibility for the PS4 via it’s cloud based-streaming service, Gaikai (acquired by Sony in 2012 for a cool $380 million) and it appears to be finally taking shape. Announced on January 7th at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony demoed the “PlayStation Now” internet-streaming service on a variety of Sony hardware (which in the future may negate the need for proprietary hardware, ie the PlayStation 4 console, to enjoy and play Sony exclusive titles). Amongst the veritable goldmine of broad Sony exclusives shown running on PlayStation Now, CES goers were treated to streaming versions of 1st-party hits such as “The Last of Us“, “Puppeteer“, “God of War: Ascension” and “Beyond: Two Souls“; all graphically-intense titles that have been released over the past year and a half. The games were playable on PlayStation Vita’s and more interestingly, 2014 Bravia TV’s, and a select few smartphones/tablets using just a DualShock 3 Controller and a connection to the PlayStation Now service. Sony has stated that the service will allow it’s subscribers (yes, it is a paid-for service although at this point I don’t know if it’s part of the PS Plus subscription package or a separate entity) to play PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 classics along with strong support of Sony’s PS3 exclusives. This could be a boon for Sony, as they have an absurdly deep back catalog for both the PS1 and PS2 (the latter selling over 150 million units worldwide making it the best selling console ever) allowing the Sony faithful and even more imperative, gamers new to the extensive retro titles of the PS One and PS2, to enjoy hard-to-find titles that until now, were confined and orphaned on physical disc to specialty game shops. I’ve always been one to enjoy the tangible vs. the digitally intangible software but with classic and hard to find PS1/2 game prices skyrocketing, even I admit this is a fantastic alternative to play all my old Sony favorites akin to Nintendo’s Virtual Console on the Wii and Wii U (WipeOut XL, Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy 7/8/Tactics, Tactics Ogre, Clock Tower, Einhander, Elemental Gearbolt, Shadow Tower, Kings Field I/II, Silent Hill, Megan Man Legends, Suikoden, Xenogears, RayStorm, Resident Evil 1/2/3 etc etc.)

PlayStation Now has begun closed-beta testing as of Jan 28th, and the service is expected to expand across several western and eastern markets as soon as the second and third quarter of 2014, with a full roll out to be completed by end of the year. For optimal performance with minimal gameplay and visual sacrifice, Sony recommends that you are using an wired internet connection with at least 5 MBps or more when gaming on PlayStation Now. A YouTube video was released just recently that showed a complete demonstration of PlayStation Now’s UI and streaming potential while the person played Killzone 3, unfortunately the video has since been taken down due to “copyright violations” by SCEA. The leaked video shows that PS Now is booted from the PSN tab on the XMB, then opens a new app resembling the PlayStation Store to begin the streaming service. Sony also says that in the near future, PlayStation 4 titles are in the works to be streamed across the service. This is certainly a great way for Sony to expand the PlayStation brand for consumers who may not be interested in dropping $300-$400 on new hardware and tap into the lucrative “casual gamer” market that the Wii captured back in 2007 and lost to the current trend of smartphones and tablets. If Sony can reclaim that audience, it certainly could be a dominating force in the casual gaming and console market. To watch the CES preview of the PlayStation Now service, watch the video below to catch a glimpse of the UI and the potential of the PS3 streaming service (video courtesy of Quentyn Kennemer via http://phandroid.com/2014/01/14/sony-playstation-now-demo/):

PlayStation 4 gets fancy-schmancy new update, version 1.60 which offers much-needed improved headset support amongst other stability fixes and enhancements

The new official Sony “Pulse” Gold headset works on the PS4 and supports 7.1 virtual surround sound – SWEET ASS SWEET!

As of Feb 4th, Sony has officially released v1.60 firmware update for the PlayStation 4. One of the PS4’s many new improvements is that it automatically connects to Sony’s servers, then downloads and installs the update in the background while the system is in standby mode. Or you can do it the old fashioned the way and download the firmware update from Sony’s official website to a USB Flash drive and do a local installation. Reportedly, the update weighs in around 300 MB. Here are a list of the new features, fixes and improvements:

Also included in this update are general stability fixes. But the added support for Sony’s premium headsets is a definitive BONUS!For more information or to download the firmware update and install it to your PS4, head over to Sony’s official PlayStation Support Page at http://us.playstation.com/support/systemupdates/ps4/index.htm.

Sony reigned supreme with the release of the PS2. Selling over 150 consoles worldwide, the PlayStation 2 dominated the 6th generation of gaming systems.

Yeah so this is a big deal to me and anyone else who grew up during the 80’s and 90’s, with their ‘rents buying us NES’s or SEGA Genesis’s. We are the first group of gamers to grow older as each iterative console cycle manifested, and therefore we are the first to see the myriad of gaming systems released over the past 25+ years. As such, I feel some kind of ownership towards the current and past gaming ecosystems, with every new generation establishing a solid hierarchy. In the case of PlayStation, I remember trading my SNES and my 40+ games into EB Games (before GameStop took over EVERYTHING) just to acquire a brand new PlayStation One with Destruction Derby, Resident Evil, Warhawk and WipeOut (franchises that are still prominent today). So the fact that Sony is now rumored to be working on a future update for the PS4 that will allow for native PS1 and PS2 backwards compatibility truly means a great deal to me. If this does come to fruition, it would make the PlayStation 4 the ultimate console in Sony hardware and amongst it’s contemporaries, being able to play PS One, PS2 and thanks to PlayStation Now, PS3 games.

A console that is fully backwards compatible would be an amazing feat, as it seems that most (not all) console manufacturers have remained adamant that deterrent factors such as cost or incompatible hardware is the reason for non-compliance. But with such a ridiculous back catalog of games for both the PS1 and PS2, it would seem almost absurd and shameful that Sony would not take advantage of such a opportunity via emulation if their current PS4 H/W allows it (and it seems more then powerful enough to do so). I still have a small library of PS One games, most of them rarities that I’ve managed to hold onto over the years because well…. their just not that easy to find anymore and aren’t available digitally via PSN yet. Sony has everything to gain and nothing to lose by providing PS One/PS2 emulation natively (whether it be via original disc or download; hopefully we get BOTH) since their are still sooo many titles that have yet to been repackaged from both the PS One and PS2 era. PS4 Backwards-compatible emulation would also allow HD upscaling in a less arbitrary nature that was implemented for the PlayStation 3, presenting an aesthetically pleasing experience while maintaining that great classic gameplay we’ve all come to expect from Sony’s top tier exclusives from the bygone console eras. While all this is just pure speculation, Digital Foundry did have a very interesting and competent report on what could be via future firmware updates regarding PS1/PS2 software emulation.

Hopefully, like the early models of the PS3 that Sony manufactured that actually contained the original PlayStation 2 hardware under the hood, Sony will allow playback of physical discs that people already have in their PS One and PS2 collections. And while Sony eventually removed the PS2 backwards compatibility from those earlier models since each PS3 unit was selling at a tremendous loss, it in fact probably saved the PlayStation brand that is now beginning to thrive again today. Sony has advocated a good amount of pro-consumer idealism thanks to their E3 presentation by simply branding the PlayStation 4 as a true gamers console- no extra fanfare, no forced flagrant takeover of your TV set and unwarranted motion-tracking; Sony was pitching the PS4 as a fundamental gamers machine, not an extravagant all-in-one box that was designed to be the centerpiece of your living room. And while some may prefer the latter, core gamers care about one thing and one thing only: how well does the machine play games and will it provide the gaming experience that a Sony console should offer? The answer is a resounding yes, as the PS4 has already sold well over 4 million units in just a short span of 3 months. It’s clear that Sony is focusing it’s efforts to attract the legions of ardent Sony fans while reaching for a larger audience. In short, Sony knows it’s user base and if these backward compatibility rumors prove true, is doing everything it can to retain previous PlayStation users and attract new gamers that want to do want a console does best: play videogames.

PlayStation emulators have been commonplace on PC’s for years, but Sony *MAY BE* taking a page out of these software emulators to run PS1 and PS2 titles natively on the PS4. ePSXe is one of the more popular PS emulators for the computer.

While PS3 compatibility will be relegated to Sony’s cloud-based streaming service PlayStation Now, previous generations of Sony H/w (PS1 and PS2 respectively) will be played via software emulation on the PlayStation 4. Even more interesting is that games played via emulation could contain HD upscaling and higher resolutions, something that is already possible on a mid-end PC running a PlayStation emulator such as ePSXe which can significantly alter the graphical fidelity of older PlayStation 1 and 2 titles. Using software emulation on the PS4, Sony may be implementing native HD resolutions instead of the blurry, artifact filled upscaled resolutions that the PlayStation 3 used when it runs PS One software or PS2 games (on earlier “fat” models of the PS3 that contained PS2 emulation via direct hardware or through software on later fat models). Again, while this is all speculation and rumors at this time, I sincerely hope Sony is hard at work on this project.

The Last of Us single-player DLC “Left Behind” released, download it now via the PlayStation Network Store

Ellie and her BFF Riley’s story is told through this 3 hour DLC campaign about how it sucks being a mischievous teenager in a post-pandemic North America.

Probably the most anticipated downloadable content aside from Bioshock Infinte’s “Burial at Sea”, The Last of Us jas dished out a mini-prequel of sorts establishing Ellie’s backstory before she met crazy-like-a-fox Joel. The DLC chapter, entitled “Left Behind”, has been in development for quite some time and was officially released on the loneliest day of the year for fat, unkempty gamer-nerds the world over; AKA: Valentines Day. Perhaps there was some amorous intent for releasing the 2-3 hour campaign on V-Day, reminding all of us dateless wonders that we still do have something to live for outside the mystique of the opposite gender. That our empathy can be redirected towards Ellie after enduring the grueling and abhorrent cross-country cordecyps road trip with her paternal ward, Joel. After all, The Last of Us intricately wove one of the most well-defined and tragic survivalist tales to grace the console market in a long, long time. True to form, instead of focusing on new gameplay elements, more updates/weapons and new skill-trees, Left Behind takes the player on Ellie’s own journey beginning with her time orphaned at a military-style school. Left Behind introduces a new character that was only mentioned briefly in passing during the main campaign: Ellie’s best friend Riley. If you played through the main campaign and enjoyed it, you would be a silly, inbred smelly fool not to purchase and playthru Left Behind. Now available via the PlayStation Store on PSN for $15 or through the TLoU Season Pass (or eventually via the yet-to-be-announced retail GOTY edition on disc; wait and see I’m sure it will be hitting store shelves by the end of the year like every bestselling PS3 exclusive). To watch the Left Behind trailer, play the video below:

Awesome Holiday Gifts you can buy on the cheap for the Gamer in your family

It’s that time of year kiddies. Whether you’re shopping for the younger, adolescent gamer in your family or the more mature significant other game-guru in your life these gifts are sure to make an impression. In no particular order, here we go!

Persona 4: The Animation

The First installment in the “Persona 4: The Animation” series remastered for HD on Blu-Ray. Contains 2 awesome, action-packed discs with episodes 1-12.

Persona 4: The Animation Collection 2. Contains two discs with episodes 13-26.If you love the Persona series or are just a fan of great anime, you can’t go wrong with this beautiful Hi-Definition Collection mastered on Blu-Ray Disc

Want to kill two birds with one stone? Then you can’t go wrong with this remaster of Persona’s serialized TV-run anime for Hi-Definition Blu-Ray Disc. Each Collection sells for around $25 – $40 per set, incumbent upon where you make your purchase. Both sets are fully-dubbed with professional English voice-overs and include subtitles for most other languages. For the video gamer that loves the Persona franchise, then this box set certainly won’t fail to impress and only further their interest in the video game, since the the anime is a complete retelling of Persona 4 the video game. And for fans of anime, they will definitely appreciate the unique characters and story that is synonymous with the Persona universe. Either way, this stylistic anime iteration of the successful video game franchise won’t disappoint the gamer or anime fan in your family.

Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Ni No Kuni has recently be added to Sony’s “Greatest Hits” signature line of games. You can now own this masterpiece of adventure based game play and beautiful anime-blended graphics with real time 3D effects for a MSRP of $19.99 brand new.

Ni No Kuni is a marvelous PS3 exclusive developed by Level-5 and revered animation house Studio Ghibli, creators of such excellent full-length anime movies as “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke”. For the adventure or RPG gamer in your family, Ni No Kuni will certainly not disappoint. Featuring beautifully drawn animation fused with gorgeous 3D backdrops, Ni No Kuni was a brilliant joint effort from Level-5 and Studio Ghibli. Oh yes, and it’s also absurdly fun to play as well. You can now buy the game brand new for $19.99 on Sony’s “Greatest Hits” series of PS3 top-sellers.

Sony PSP (Model 3000) OR Nintendo DS/Lite

Sony’s foray into the lucrative handheld gaming market has proven to be very successful after an initial sales slump during those first few growing pain years, recently achieving over 80 million units sold. Although the PSP can’t match the stalwart marquee exclusives and pedigree of Nintendo’s unique DS handheld that doesn’t make the PSP any less cooler or attractive, with 100’s of great games, unique JRPG’s crafted just for the PSP, many niche games that found a home on Sony’s handheld and AAA titles that were completely remade into a new experience for the PSP (Grand Theft Auto, Tekken 6, God of War, WipEOut, Perona series). Pictured above is the 3000 series, the 3rd H/W iteration and most refined. Forget the clunky and over sized 1000 model, the 3000 revision is the definitive model

The DS in it’s shut-closed state, making it easy to slip in and out of your pocket, backpack, purse whatever. Also, the DS comes in a variety of colors so you can accessorize your H/W as you see fit with your other apparel. Nifty Swifty!

Nintendo has pioneered and dominated the handheld gaming market since the advent of the original Gameboy. The Nintendo DS is no different, featuring a touchscreen display via a stylus pen, a unique portable clam shell design and backwards compatibility with the Gameboy Advance. Now that the 3DS has superseded the original, the DS and DS Lite are dirt cheap with an absurd library of Triple A titles available for $3 – $10 a cartridge. Oh yes, and did I mention just how cool the damn thing looks too? Pictured above: Nintendo DS Lite. Essentially a more compact version of the original DS with a slightly larger screen and other minor H/W refinements.

The best Holiday gift for the gamer in your life is undoubtedly a new games console that their fingers have yet to grace. While the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS may be from the previous handheld H/W cycle, they are no less impressive, extremely fun as game devices, each have an absurd lineup of great games and best of all, each unit can be purchased used for less than $50 – $60. New units may cost $70 – $80 or more, but for those on a tight budget you can typically find a used unit in good condition on Craigslist or from GameStop. When buying from Craigslist always make sure that the seller has pictures to show and always try renegotiating the price, even if they have the item listed as firm. There is always room for negotiation. If the seller wants to sell a package that includes several games and other tangibles such as plastic cases, screen protectors or memory cards, however you only need one or two particular items then always offer a lower price then advertised, they might agree to keep everything together and you’ll get all the extras for virtually nothing! If they separate the desired item from everything else you can always try and haggle a few things back in for a couple extra bucks. Also, it doesn’t hurt if buying as a gift to buy a small bundled deal with a few games and a memory card (thememory stick Duo is essential for the PSP otherwise you won’t be able to save game progress). For the DS and PSP, ensure that both items come with an AC Wall Charger and that with anything you buy from a stranger online, to have the seller demonstrate to you the hardware does indeed work. Finalize the deal by instructing them to insert a game and turn the H/W on, so you can see for yourself that it plays and is fully functional (don’t forget to test it and make sure all the buttons, directional pad and or analog stick(s) are working as intended). If everything is on the up and up and a price is agreed upon between both parties then go for it! Buying a Nintendo DS/Lite or PSP from GameStop isn’t much different than Craigslist, except their is no haggling over price and what you see is what you get. All used handhelds sold via GameStop include the basic necessities, such as AC Adapter. GameStop also provides you with a 30-day warranty on said hardware, with the option to buy into a 1 or 2 year warranty for a couple extra bucks. Whichever route you take in buying either handheld for the gamer in your life, make sure that if you are buying a PSP that the model is 3000 and as for the DS, you’ll also want the DS Lite model. Each variation comes with larger or brighter screens, have their capacity or size reduced and feature other important refinements. It’s also important to note that the Nintendo DS and DS Lite both can play Gameboy Advance games, which is a nice addition and automatically gives you another entire catalog of games to play from. The DS XL does not feature GBA backwards-compatibility.

Both Sony and Nintendo have a healthy amount of games for each of their portables. It should be noted that the PSP, however, is definitely a more well-rounded multimedia device capable of video playback (via special UMD video discs or MP4 file format I believe), music playback, radio tuning, skype, internet connectivity and displaying a variety of image files. By contrast, the Nintendo DS is really only meant for gaming and because it’s Nintendo H/W, it comes with all the great first-party titles that are exclusive to only Nintendo (ie: Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pokemon, Mario Kart, Starfox, Donkey Kong). So if the gamer you are shopping for has a soft spot for Nintendo titles or characters, then certainly the DS is a purchase they’ll be sure to love. Graphically, their is no comparison: The PSP has graphics comparable to a PlayStation 1/2 hybrid in the palm of your hand giving it a distinctive edge for visuals. The PSP renders 3D and 2D graphics very fast, with games like “GTA: Liberty City Stories”, “God of War: Ghosts of Sparta”, “Pursuit Force” and “Need for Speed Most Wanted” running blazing fast. The PSP is also an “RPG Monster”, featuring many great 3rd party RPG exclusives such as the Persona series, “Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep”, “Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together”, “Phantasy Star”, “Star Ocean: Second Evolution”, “Jeanne D’Arc” and “Disgaea 1 or 2”. The DS, by contrast, may not push as many polygons but still has a plethora of great titles, “Metroid Prime: Hunters” and “Super Mario 3D” were both very visually impressive game for the DS. Also, the DS has a TON of great exclusive RPG’s such as “The World Ends with You”, “SMT: Strange Journey”, “SMT: Devil Survivor 2” and “Radiant Historia”. So now that you know the fundamental difference between the two handhelds, go and make an educated decision that surely will impress friends, family and gaming geeks alike.

Wreck-It Ralph Blu-Ray

Ralph is consoled by the other baddies from their respective games in the arcade. Wreck It Ralph was awesome because for the first time it combined all the characters, good and bad, from video games spanning the past 3 decades. Pictured Above: Bowser, Zangief and Dr.Robotnik

The Special Edition Blu-Ray of Disney’s kick-ass “Wreck It Ralph” movie.

What’s better than playing video games and watching cartoons? Combining a full-length Disney movie that’s about the life of video game characters in an arcade. Featuring such mainstays as Bowser, Pac-Man, Sonic the Hedgehog and Q-Bert, Wreck-It Ralph is about the life of arcade game “bad guy” Ralph from the game “Fix It Felix Jr.“. Ralph is tired of his repetitive daily routine of being the bad guy and the stigma that comes with it. All the other denizens that live within Fix It Felix Jr. treat Ralph differently, looking down on him. Tired of the “bad guy” lifestyle, Ralph seeks out a gold medal that heroes of arcade games often obtain after the player successfully completes the game. He decides to leave his game temporarily to obtain a medal from the sci-fi first person shooter game in the arcade, named “Heroes Duty”. After reaching the tower in Heroes Duty and acquiring a gold medal, Ralph accidentally triggers a “Cy-bug” attack (the enemies of Heroes Duty) and is ejected via an escape pod where he crash-lands in the Kart-racer game “Sugar Rush”, losing his gold medal in the process. Here, Ralph meets racing outcast “Vanellope von Schweetz” and the two band together in agreement to help Vanellope officially race and get Ralph a new gold medal. The two form an unlikely bond and follow the formula of most Disney films where two polar opposites unite to reach a common goal. Featuring the talented voice work of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer, Wreck It Ralph is a fun, awesome movie that combines my love of video games with my childhood adoration of cartoons. Any gamer, young or old, should enjoy this animated masterpiece.

Kara No Shoujo Visual Novel (PC) “The Girl in the Shell”

Through the games interface, you can easily navigate the intricacies of investigating criminal acts.

Kara no Shojo is an impressive adult visual novel for Windows Computers that includes elements of horror, romance and suspense as your character attempts to out a serial killer on the loose. Taking place in post-war 1956 Tokyo, you play as protagonist Reiji Tokisaka, a private investigator trying to solve a string of brutal murders in and around a local highschool. During the game you will collect evidence, investigate crime scenes, question and pursue suspects all while maintaining an undercover guise as a highschool teacher. Limited by the technology at the time, you must use your wits and knowledge of the locations and citizens to determine the killer’s identification. Kara no Shoujo has intense graphic depictions of violence and gore, along with some sexual imagery common amongst Japanese Visual Novels. Localized for U.S. audiences by Mangagamer, Kara no Shoujo can be purchased exclusively as a digital download from their website for $24.99. Click on the link below to go the purchase page via Mangagamer:

The US Theatrical Movie Poster for “The Wind Rises”, opening in US cinemas on Feb 21st with an all-star voice cast.

Hayao Miyazaki last anime outing as a director will get a proper farewell in US cinemas, in part thanks to major distribution via Disney and Touchstone Pictures. Miyazaki-san has directed many feature-length anime films, with some of his memorable work commercially released in the States, such as “Spirited Away” (2002 USA) and “Princess Mononoke” (1999 USA). As “The Wind Rises” will be his final curtain call, the project has garnered attention from some big name actors who will lend their voice talent to the US translation. Here’s the complete list of the featured players and their respective roles:

Even I am a little surprised at just how much of talent has rallied behind the 72-year old Miyazaki’s illustrious swan song. If the early reviews are anything to go by, it appears as if we have a marvelously crafted movie when it opens in theaters on February 21st. The film is about a young man named “Jiro” who dreams of flying but because of his poor eyesight he instead takes to designing airplanes. Set around the time frame of WW2, “The Wind Rises” depicts Jiro becoming emotionally conflicted and trying to cope, knowing that his work will be used for weapons of war. Check out the U.S. trailer below:

Available as an exclusive pre-order from Square Enix directly, the FFX/X-II HD REMASTER Collectors Edition is a FF fan’s wet dream come true

Coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 and Vita handheld, the Hi-Def Remake of Final Fantasy X and X-II will have several launch day editions, including a special Collectors Edition (pictured above) for $80.00 being sold exclusively through Square Enix’s Online Store. The regular edition, limited edition and collectors edition all launch on March 18th. For more information on this CE of FFX/X-II HD or to place an order, please refer to the following link:

Atlus releases new Update Patch for “Dragon’s Crown” on PS3/Vita

If you couldn’t get enough of Atlus awesome 2D-homage to fantasy beat-em-up’s titled “Dragon’s Crown”, then you should be pissing your pants ecstatic that another new Update patch has been released (this is the 5th I believe). Not just a “glitch fix” download, this update includes several awesome new features to keep you coming back for more. Some of the new additions include:

New “Ultimate” Difficulty mode added

Level Cap has been raised from 99 to 255

New Dungeon added called “Tower of Mirages” that includes tens of thousands of levels to hack and slash through

And the best part about all this good stuff? IT’S FREE! No DLC, No Season Pass and no Episodic Content required for Dragon’s Crown. All the extra content being released by Atlus is free. Other companies really need to start following this business model. Seriously though, when Gearbox released the Update Patch that raised the level cap a second time in Borderlands 2, then had the gall to charge $$$$ for it, I WAS NOT PLEASED. So thank you Atlus, for doing something that all game developers and publishers should be expected to do: offer incremental additions and changes that improve and add to gameplay for free.

My introduction into the world of Japanese Visual Novels via Persona 3 blog post now up on DESTRUCTOID, don’t forget to UP VOTE it!

After spending over a week perfecting my introductory experience of how Visual Novels slowly infused into my gaming rotation, the article has been finalized and uploaded to Destructoid.com so that hopefully more exposure will come both to HiddenDefinition and VN’s, quid pro quo. If you’re interested about the Persona universe or just curious about what a Visual Novel is I ask that you please check out my blog post on Destructoid. Click on the link below to be directed to my article and if you like it, please up vote it so it gains more exposure:

While the Persona franchise may have a cult following that continually grows larger with each release in the West, the series has exploded and become as popular as ever in it’s native land of origin (Japan Man!), demonstrated by the new feature length movie Birth of Spring, released to Japanese cinemas on November 23rd, 2013. The movie closely follows the events of P3 the game, tying in to the first several hours of gameplay for the plot of the film. There have been several trailers released, showing off the awesome visual style unique to the Persona series and the film, including the one below. Watch and enjoy:

The Walking Dead Season 2 begins with digital release of Episode 1, “All That Remains”available now

If you have yet to play Telltale’s“The Walking Dead” Episodic adventure series, I recommend that before you jump into the first digital release of Season 2 entitled “All That Remains” it would be in your best interest (for the continuity of the story) to start off with the physical disc compilation of Season 1. Now available as the recently released GOTY Edition for the MSRP of $29.99 (XBOX 360, PS3 and PS VITA) that includes the bonus episode“400 Days” which dropped as a exclusive digital download a few months back OR you can buy the original retail, disc version for around $14.99-$19.99 used or new (which was released last December). If you don’t own any variant of the game, physical or digital, then the extra content included with the GOTY Edition makes it the definitive version to buy. Since I enjoy the concept of retail ownership, I will probably wait until Telltale inevitably publishes the tangible copy of Season 2. Until then, for those of you that prefer not waiting another 6 months to a year, you can buy “All That Remains”, starring Clementine (as the playable character) digitally on PSN, XBOX Live and PC/STEAM for around $4.99 or $20.00 for the Season Pass. Here’s the NA Box Art for the Game of the Year Edition of Season 1:

The GOTY retail release of Telltale’s “Walking Dead” Season 1 episodic journey based on the hugely successful comic book franchise of the same name (written by Robert Kirkman) coincides with the release of the first Episode of Season 2, “All That Remains”, now available on the digital marketplace across multiple platforms

Next core installment in the “Tales” franchise announced by Namco Bandai for global release: “Tales of Zestiria”

Official announcement logo for Namco’s newest “Tales Of..” title

It’s official, Namco Bandai has unleashed what will start the hype machine for the next Tales RPG game, titled “Tales of Zestiria” being released exclusively for the PS3. This announcement is significant in that it marks the first time a “Tales Of..” title has been simultaneously announced for release in both the East and the Wast. While no official release date has been made available to coincide with the press release, I can only assume that with Tales of Symphonia HD and Tales of Xillia 2 coming to NA in 2014, I can theorize that this new title will be available by sometime in 2015. This is the next main installment in the series and it’s announcement and eventual release will commemorates the 20th anniversary for the Tales Of.. franchise which will occur in 2015. Here is a direct quote from Hideo Baba, producer of the Tales series via a press release:

“Over the past few years the Tales Of team has taken great strides to strengthen our relationship with players across North America and Europe, To respond to their love and support I am honored to open a new chapter of the Tales Of series together with Japanese and overseas fans.”

Tales of Zestiria is being developed exclusively for the PS3 and will be released in Japan with a western localization to follow soon after.

The Walking Dead Season 2, Episode 1 “All That Remains” to be released soon

TellTale Game’s hit episodic series based on the comic of the same name, “The Walking Dead”, has a new trailer to accompany the imminent release of the first episode of Season 2 entitled “All That Remains”. Season 2 picks up where Season 1 left off, and puts the player in control of everyone’s favorite little post-apocalyptic zombie survivor, Clementine. This should definitely be interesting, as most players found themselves being very protective over little Clementine, trying to retain some of her child-like innocence from a world overrun by zombies and without any trace of humanity and civilization. Now playing as her, how will players navigate and brave the harsh reality she now must face on her own? “All That Remains” will be released digitally for PlayStation 3, XBox 360, PC and iOS. Check out the trailer below:

Sony officially releases Firmware Update v1.52 for PlayStation 4

Sony has officially released a new firmware update for it’s newest console, the PlayStation 4. Firmware revision 1.52 became available December 11th and while no new features have been added to the OS or UI, it seems several reports have surfaced that some features of the PS4’s sharing capabilities have had reduced loading/downloading/uploading times. Sony maintains this is purely a “stability and security” update, but if you have noticed any reduced lag in the performance of your PS4’s OS or sharing features, please feel free to let us know in the comments section below.

Four new Persona titles announced, including the next main installment in the franchise: Persona 5 exclusively for PS3

I❤ Atlus. They are by far my favorite publisher, outside of Sony. They are a small bunch, but they localize some of the best titles from Japan for the west. This generation alone they have brought a new installment in the SMT series for the 3DS as well as Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita), Demon Souls (PS3), Dragon’s Crown (PS3),Catherine and their recently released 2D Anime arcade fighter for the PS3 AquaPazza. The Persona franchise has gained a huge following thanks to it’s mix of modern Japanese influenced locales and catchy J-pop techno, diverse characters and unique social link system. If you have yet to try any of the titles I would recommend starting with Persona 3 FES, Persona 3 Portable or P4Golden.

So with the flurry of new Persona announcements, the one that gets my blood boiling the most is the next installment in the core franchise, aptly entitled Persona 5. Not much as known, although Atlus Japan released a teaser trailer which you can check out below. Persona 5 will keep the high school social theme, with each main character experiencing their own personal real-life problems along with the dark world of fighting demons/shadows/whatever. P5 will come exclusively to the PS3 in Winter of 2014, so with any hope Atlus will release it in the West soon after.

Also announced was a Persona rhythm/dance game for the Vita, a new Persona fighting game for PS3 and the first installment of the Persona franchise on the 3DS, titled Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth. Here’s the teaser trailer for Persona Q (courtesy of Up All Night Gaming):

Winter 2014 can’t come soon enough. <3333 Persona

Tales of Xillia 2 NA “Pocketwatch” Trailer released by Namco Bandai

The “Tales Of” series is a well regarded RPG institution, right along with the Final Fantasy franchise. Namco Bandai has been busy busy, with Tales of Xillia released this year to critical acclaim and now the sequel, which was announced for US release recently has a teaser trailer which looks quite intriguing. Tales of Xillia 2 is scheduled to be released sometime in 2014 exclusively for the PS3. Namco has also recently launched a teaser site for a brand new installment of “Tales” coming to PS3 or PS4 . Nothing is known about this mystery Tales title yet as the website is mostly a tribute to previous PSOne Tales installations. Check out the website by clicking on the link below:

To tide you over, here is the official “Pocketwatch” trailer for Xillia 2:

JAST USA bringing Shiny Days Visual Novel to the west and School Days HQ reviewed

Originally released in 2012, “Shiny Days” is a successive off shoot follow-up to the “School Days” VN. PC Publisher JAST USA has a extensive catalog of localized VN’s for sale, including the English collectors edition for School Days HQ. In cooperation with the Sekai Project and Shiny Days developer Overflow, JAST will hopefully be announcing a release date for the latest “Days” installment soon.

You may as well file this under awesome obscurity, since most console gamers will have no idea what a Visual Novel is unless you live or are from Japan. The quickest way to define a VN game is a point-and-click type of adventure presented through beautifully drawn computer-imagery, typically using still pictures and anime to tell a non-linear story. A VN may begin as a passive experience to setup the story, but eventually you will be faced with a bevy of choices to select from that branches the story into many different outcomes. Just like console games, VN’s fall into different genres, such as Dating-sims, Romance, Fantasy RPGS, Adventure, Comedic and Science-fiction. While technically most VN’s are presented the same, the substance varies greatly from genre to genre. Dating and Romance VN’s have a penchant for containing graphic sexual scenes, and these Visual Novels fall into their own category dubbed “eroge” (a Japanese novel consisting of erotic imagery and gaemeplay). While some games contain nothing but hyper-sexual scantily-clad anime girls with amorous feelings towards the protagonist (AKA you the player), others are more tender and involve romantic pursuits. Shiny Days and School Days HQ are the latter, games where your choice creates your own story about high school love and while they do contain sexual imagery, most of it is not gratuitous and used to enhance the context of the story that you choose.

Shiny Days is a quasi-sequel to the original School Days, featuring old and new cast members. I was ecstatic to learn that JAST USA is publishing the game in the west because I fell in love with the School Days universe after my first playthru. Subsequent playthru’s followed and I am now more enamored with the “Days” universe and it’s diverse cast of characters. While no official release date has been announced for the English PC port, I hope that Shiny Days will find it’s way to my desktop within the next 2 years. Until then, check out my review of “School Days HQ” from the following link (or by clicking on School Days under the Reviews tab):

Unless you live under a sand dune on Mars or you have that Helen Keller disease, you probably are aware that Sony and Microsoft have both launched their next-gen consoles on Nov 15th (PS4) and Nov 22nd (Xbox One), respectively. Being a gamer requires that you also understand the finer things in life, like how to talk away that mustard stain on your hoodie as canvas paint or know how to camp out and prepare yourself for a midnight system launch. It’s been nearly seven years for Sony and over eight years for Microsoft, so to say these console launches aren’t as exciting as before is underwhelming. Attending the midnight launch of the PlayStation 4 at my local GameStop, there was so much excitement people could hardly contain themselves as we discussed past launches, the games we loved and why I was the only person at the launch who wasn’t actually buying a system (the latter fact is irrelevant guys, BECAUSE I SAY SO). I tried innumerably to convince my fellow gamers to all pool in their funds and buy me a console, but my desperation only compounded matters for the worse and did me no favorable service. My associate who worked at GameStop told me that I had ZERO chance to obtain a unit without first pre-ordering months a go, so I cried and screamed and begged like a child having a temper tantrum, only to be forcefully removed from the premises. “Act your age” everyone said…. “Nobody wants to see a big, fat almost-30 year old man child writhing on the floor in tears” they said… WELL SCREW YOU GUYS! OK, so maybe I embellished some of the above statements, and I didn’t actually get kicked out… I left of my own accord with dignity. I did return however with a bag full of chocolate because everyone knows gamers can’t resist big bags of snacks…. and was thus welcomed back to the launch party swiftly. “Chocolates for all” I declared! So as the night went on I snapped a few photos when I could and returned during the evening to my local Best Buy with my entourage in tow to play the PS4 demo kiosk and get some intimate, hands-on time with the console myself. Here’s what happened when trying to play first-party launch exclusive “KNACK”:

Unfortunately, we were shutdown and ejected by the evil Best Buy Dragon Queen because the legality of filming violates their PR policies. I couldn’t buy a PS4, I don’t know anyone that owns a unit who will let me rebox and unbox to have my own cool unboxing video then play it for hours while they sit and watch (apparently the only person I do know that owned one wanted to play it all for themselves launch day, go figure) so I did the next best thing: going to a business that owned one with my film crew and using their free generosity to mooch gaming playtime and record it. Can a broke, ambivalent man-child gamer really be blamed for such gratuitous behavior? For my complete “PS4: Gamer on the Ground” article, click on the following link or click on the tab of the same name under the Editorials tab:

The Last of Us Single Player DLC “Left Behind” announced, Ellie a returning character

I have advocated every chance that has come to pass for TLoU to be a Game of the Year frontrunner and with this next DLC pack, scheduled to be released early 2014 my contention only grows stronger. Naughty Dog has confirmed the single-player story DLC for “The Last of Us” will indeed see the return of Ellie as a playable character and in fact, be a prequel to the core games story. It will also introduce the character of Riley, one of Ellie’s best and only friends at the military orphanage where she was being schooled. If you’ve read the Dark House 4-part comic series “American Dreams” then you should have some idea of what to expect, although the DLC is not an exact recreation from the comics story and appears to take place after the events from the last comic and in-between the beginning of the main game. I implore you guys to read “American Dreams” because not only does it offer a great precursor to Ellie’s backstory, but it also serves as a companion piece to the game’s main narrative. Here’s the teaser trailer for the DLC, entitled “Left Behind“:

Bioshock: Infinite “Burial at Sea” pt. 1 released

Return to Rapture before it’s downfall and see it as in the utopia Andrew Ryan envisioned. Liz seeks out Bookers help as a Private Investigator in “Burial at Sea”.

The first part of a duo DLC single-player pack for Bioshock: Infinite was released on November 12th for a MSRP of $14.99, or if you have the Season Pass then it’s available digitally as a download now for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. “Burial at Sea” is a two-part adventure that returns the player to Rapture in it’s glory days before plasmids corrupted the loyal denizens into Splicers and all hell broke loose. Featuring some new weapons and a whole new story, you’ll play as private investigator Booker DeWitt hired by very more adult, demure persona of Elizabeth in the first part then take over and play as Elizabeth in the second part.

I was really disappointed with the story direction featured in Bioshock: Infinite’s single-player two part DLC “Burial at Sea” and although the concept and the return of Liz and Booker are certainly welcome, it seems so much more could’ve been explored within Infinite’s universe instead of returning to a glorified Rapture. Probably the most intriguing, albeit silent protagonist in a game this year was Infinite’s “Songbird“, the giant mechanical fowl that served as Elizabeth’s frightening ward in the main campaign. For all the lip-service Irrational paid to it’s newest terrifying creation (the collectors edition featured a 12-14” statue of the character and was aptly dubbed “Ultimate Songbird Edition“), Songbird was hardly featured in the core game and ultimately relegated to a minor supporting role. It seems their was so much back story for this character and situational set pieces that could’ve been crafted within a DLC campaign to give Songbird a more involved role. Am I the only one that feels this way? Comment below and speak your mind about what your ideal DLC scenario for Bioshock Infinite would’ve been.

Cosplayer Meagan Marie strikes a pose and brings her characters to life

Recently featured on Kotaku’s Fancy Pants (http://kotaku.com/5876329/the-very-best-of-meagan-maries-cosplay/), I knew she looked familiar. Sure enough, flipping through some of my past print editions of “Game Informer” I saw Meagan’s picture appear several times co-mingling with other GI editors, game developers and game industry folks. Not only is she a hell of a writer, but she can cosplay with the best of them. Take a look for your self:

Meagan portraying Anya from Gears of War, one of the few female gears that could take down herds of the locust with the boys

Meagan as Marie Antoinette, the ill-fated last queen of France and dare I say, one of the original “it-girls” before there even was a Hollywood.

If you want to see more of Meagan’s tireless effort to recreate our favorite fictional and non-fictional characters, then go to her website and admire her skill as only us gross, girlfriend-less gamers could; by showering her with lots of praise and stalking her. Just kidding Meagan, all my subjective comments come from a place of gamer love ❤

P.S.You’ve cosplayed titular gaming characters, historical and mythical figures and even sci-fi badasses. But their seems to be one missing from your resume that happens to be my all time favorite gaming character: Samus Aran. Yes, I know it’s been done but there are so many different ways to approach her. A strong female lead when console gaming was still in it’s infancy and female heroines were uncommon, most women in games were relegated to the “damsel in distress” cliches. Her revelation came as a pleasant surprise to most gamers who played through the original Metroid and were expecting anything but. One of the original Nintendo stalwart characters, Samus has always been my favorite and if Nintendo would release a new Metroid game where she resumes the role of the silent, lone-wolf character (no more talking please, Samus spoke enough in “Other M” to last the next three generations of Metroid games), I would instantly go out and buy a Nintendo console just to play it. Just a thought, or rant. Whatever.

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Well thought-out articles with objective analysis comprising of every relevant facet in the gaming industry today, and it happens to be created and maintained by my best friend Mike. So go NOW!